Power management company Eaton has launched Value Added Services (VAS) as a bespoke package for its industrial switchgear, automation and power distribution offering. The launch is part of Eaton’s vision for how modern manufacturers can be more profitable through next generation manufacturing.
Following an analysis of a company’s production process and logistics chain, the VAS team collaborates with the customer leveraging Eaton’s engineering know-how to develop solutions that boost process efficiency for selected products and systems. This creates sustainable competitive advantages for the customer’s business – with the initial focus on the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.
“Our new services enable customers to improve the efficiency of their inventory processes, stocks and supply chains in order to boost the overall process efficiency of their enterprise,” said Jens Weigl, Head of Product Line Value Added Service at Eaton. “An optimized logistics chain gives them significant cost and time savings. Of course, there are lots of different ways to achieve savings. In some cases valuable resources can be freed up so they can focus on their core competencies, correct order picking can reduce error rates, assembly effort and downtimes can be reduced, and delivery times can be accelerated.”
VAS encompasses inventory management, material flow, production and after-sales service. The resulting solutions depend on the application concerned but, for example, the services for inventory management and material flow include consulting and order analysis as well as individual labeling, customized packaging, order picking and container management. Reducing packaging waste and releasing just-in-time deliveries are two examples of measurable value. In the production area, pre-assembly of units, prefabricated SmartWire-DT cables, prewired electrical components and systems as well as custom software for HMIs, PLCs and variable speed drives are amongst the services provided by the VAS team. Savings can also be achieved in after-sales service with units packaged to meet service needs and optimal spare parts management.